Abe Duenas is a returning Expecting Goodness Short Film Festival filmmaker for the 2013 festival. Director of last year’s festival entry “The Widower’s Pearls,” Abe is a seasoned short filmmaker and plans an ambitious project for this year’s festival. Therefore, Abe Duenas has selected the slogan “Expect Artistry” for his project.

Every time I meet a new artist or someone who appreciates art in the Upstate, I think “wow, great– someone new who may appreciate what filmmakers in our area are doing.”

Last year, the Expecting Goodness Short Film Festival gave seven filmmakers the great opportunity to showcase their talent. I was overjoyed the night of the festival– right here, in our backyard, we were sharing what our crews had painfully crafted for the past three months. No one really knew what to expect from the other entries, but judging from the sold out crowds, we knew it would be a great night for this emerging medium in Spartanburg.

Last year, we produced “The Widower’s Pearls,” a film about how a father must carry on as a widowed man, raising three daughters. The story takes place in a familiar diner where he deals with the different challenges that three different ages come with. He ultimately faces a life changing challenge that very night with one of his daughters.

Last year’s film was a strict adaptation of the original story. This year, the story I selected was “Sucker” by Lindy Keane Carter. I strongly recommend following the link to the story, since I will be shooting a film based on it. I wanted to do something different this year. I wanted to shoot a film that was inspired by the characters of the original story. In “Sucker,” the story ends with the reader not knowing exactly what will happen. My film will pick up from where those characters were and give my own interpretation of “what if?” The title of my film is “Donde Come Uno, Comen Dos” (Where One Eats, Two Can Eat). It’s based on an old saying my father would always tell my brothers and me when he wanted to teach us the importance about sharing and what we gain from doing so. In the film, we will see how our main character learns how one can never be too old to come to some of life’s most important lessons. Those lessons are the importance of having friends (even if they are not what you expected or wanted) and how important it is to tell those close to you how you feel about them.

As part of this year’s project, I am also reaching out to the community and offering opportunities for them to get involved. I have an indiegogo campaign that I have launched to raise a little bit of funds to cover my actors and crew’s travel expenses, plus set design and equipment. For those involved, there will be perks and chances for sponsorship. Also, businesses that are interested will get additional perks, such as a video made by me and graphic design work.

With so many being part of this year’s film festival, the excitement and anxiousness will be double from what it was last year. But I think this is a good thing. I know everyone will be bringing their very best to the show. I plan to put every ounce of artistry I can into this project. I wish that every film I see that is not mine is better than what I produced; if this is the case, we’re all in for an awesome night.

I will be posting updates frequently, so please follow me or contact me if you would like to be involved with my film.